Infant travel systems comprising an infant travel seat and complimentary base assembly are well-known in the art. In many infant travel systems, the engaging mechanisms between the infant travel seat and the base is difficult to operate or does not form a secure fit. Also, the location of the engagement between the seat and base in prior art systems is not optimally positioned to account for the various effects of front and rear end collisions. Therefore, there is a need for a more user friendly system for engaging and releasing the infant travel seat to and from the base. There is also a need for a more secure and well-balanced engagement between the engaging mechanism on the infant travel seat and the base.
In many infant travel systems, it is often difficult for a user to operate a self-contained restraint system carried by the base assembly to form a secure connection between the restraint system and an anchor mounted within the vehicle. For example, a user may be required to access the restraint system from only one side of the base assembly, or may have to be put in an awkward position within the vehicle to operate the restraint system. In addition, securing straps of the restraint system clutter the base assembly and can interfere with the engagement between an infant travel seat and the base assembly causing a potential safety hazard. Therefore, there is a need for a more user friendly self-contained base assembly restraint system to form a tight connection between the base and anchor mounted in a vehicle. In addition, there is a need for a base assembly restraint system having the securing straps concealed or displaced from interfering with the attachment of an infant travel seat to the base assembly.
In many infant travel systems, a leveling system is typically located on either the base or seat. When the indicator is positioned on the seat, the seat is required to be mounted to the base for a user to read the level. If the base needs to be adjusted, the seat typically has to be disengaged from the base, which can be frustrating for a user. When the level is located on the base, it is often concealed by the seat or can only be read from one side of the base. Finally, prior art leveling systems, typically in the form of a pendulum with an indicator, can be confusing for a user to read and are not user friendly. Therefore, there is a need for an improved and more user friendly leveling system to be located on the base assembly.
Adjustable carrying handles for infant travel seats are well known. In many infant travel seats, the position of the carrying handle can break free when minimum force is applied. This is because there is typically only a singular locking engagement between the handle and seat or the adjustable locking engagement between the handle and seat is perpendicular to the radial rotation of the handle. Therefore, there is a need for an adjustable handle locking mechanism having an improved engagement between the handle and seat.